Improvement in yarn take-up and tension devices for knitting-machines



' H. L. ARNOLD.

Yarn Take-Ups and Tension Devices for Knitting- Machines.

No, 141,534, P.atentedAugu st5,I873.

AM. PHDTO-LITHOGRAPHIL La Ivy (ussurmE's Pnavsss) section.

PATENT ()FFIGE.

HORACE L. ARNOLD, OF OTTAWA, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN YARN TAKE-UP AND TENSION DEVICES FOR KNlTTlNG-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 141,534, dated August 5, 1873; application filed January 28, 1873. v

To all-whom it may camera:

Be it known that I, HORACE L. ARNOLD, of Ottawa, in the county of La Salle, in the State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Yarn Take-Up and Tension Device, adapted to knitting and other machines in which the proper control of threads and yarns is required.

My invention consists, partially, in a spring take-up lever of novel construction; also, in a novel combination of a spring take-up lever with a buckle-finger which has an action independent ofthe lever, and in such an arrangement of the two that the finger controlled by the lever may be withdrawn from contact with the yarn by the depression of the lever, for the purpose of securing proper delivery of yarn from the bobbin; and also so that the finger may be withdrawn from the yarn by the extreme elevation of the lever, for the purpose of allowing the removal or the introduction of yarn without special manipulation of the finger; and, finally, so that the buckle-finger, acting independently of the lever, may secure an even tension on the yarn between the finger and the needles; and I do hereby'declare that the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of the same, is a clear and true description of take-up and tension devices embodying my invention.

Figure 1 represents, in perspective, one of my improved take-up and tension devices attached to a knitting-machine. Fig.2 represents the same device in longitudinal vertical Fig. 3 represents my improved device combined with a yarn-spring of the ordinary construction.

A denotes the take-up lever. In Figs. 1 and 2 it is represented as a rigid metallic arm, pivoted at its lower end to the standard, and provided with a segment-gear, (t, on its front side, near its pivot. The spring-plunger b is provided with annular grooves or teeth corresponding with the teeth of the segment, and engages therewith after the usual manner of rack-gearing. The spring-plunger is incased within a vertical tube, and backed up by an expansive spiral spring and a set-screw, 0, whereby the force of the spring communicated to the lever may be regulated by raising and lowering the set-screw. This graduating device has a special value in knitting-machines because the strain of the take-up, if adjusted to coarse, heavy yarns, would be altogether too great on finer, lighter yarns. It is also sometimes desirable that the tension be much greater while knitting one portion of a stocking, for instance, than would be required in knitting the remaining portions. a buckle-finger. It is loosely pivoted at its upper end to a portion of the standard, so that, by its gravity, its lower end will naturally-although at a slight incline--be in contact with the top surface of the yarn-stand. Its lower edge is chisel-shaped. On its rear side the buckle-finger is provided with a knob,

.62, which projects toward the take-up lever.

The take-up lever A, at the rear of its pivot, is provided with two cam-surfaces, e and f.

Between these is a surface, in the are of a cira cle, of which the lever-pivot is the center. In Fig. 3, A denotes the usual spring-wire takeup device extended from a coil-spring base, and provided with a device for setting it at any desired angle, and thereby graduating the force of its spring.

Instead of employing the segment-gear and the spring-plunger with such a lever, the camsurfaces 0 and f are on the end of what may be termed an auxiliary pivoted lever, which is connected to the sprin g-lever by an upwardly-turned arm, with an eye at its upper end, which loosely embraces the spring-lever A, so that the vibration of this lever produces the same movement of the cam-surfaces e and f as results from the vibration of the lever shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The yarn-eye g is so placed with relatio to the buckle-finger that yarn led from either of the several main eyes in the yarn-stand The operation of my take-up and tension is as follows: It will be assumed that the apparatus is applied to a machine, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in which the yarn is represented as if at a proper tension, and with the take-up lever exercising its proper functions.

B denotes The buckle-finger is shown to be pressing upon the yarn. Neither of the cam-surfaces c orf is in contact with the knob d of the buckle-linger, and therefore the latter is exercising its proper function independently of the lever. When in this position no yarn can possibly leave the bobbin, for the finger absolutely prevents it, and maintains between it and the needles all of the tension which the spring-lever is capable of producing. The position of the finger will remain unchanged until, the yarn having been taken by the needles, the lever is depressed so as to bring the cam-surface 0 into contact with the knob d on the back of the buckle-finger, and by that "contact, which follows the further depression of the lever, the bucklefinger is thrown forward, as shown in Fig.3, and sufficient yarn is allowed to freely pass until the lever has resumed its former position, and withdraws said cam-surface e from the knob d, after which the linger will operate as before, and so on until the machine is stopped.

Whenever yarn of another kind is to be substituted for that in use, or when another strand of yarn is to be laid with the one already in use, the take-up lever, on the stoppage of the machine, and having no strain upon it, or on removal of yarn therefrom, rises to its highest elevation, and by that movement brings the cam-surface f against the knob d, and by its pressure against it the finger B is thrown forward in precisely the same manner as before described in connection with the cam-surfiice'e. \Vhen in this position, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the yarn-track is entirely unobstructed, and no special manipulation of the fingers is requisite whileproperly applying the yarn.

I am aware that various devices have heretofore been employed for checking the delivery of yarn from the bobbins, but 1 know of none prior to my invention which could operate independently of the take-up lever, and yet be so controlled by it as to regulate the delivery of yarn to the exact requirements of the movement. The peculiar operation of the lever upon the buckle-finger will allow of the passage of anyknot or burr in the yarn which would readily pass the needles. Should such a knot be in contact with. the finger, the depression of the lever and the great power exercised by its cam-surface e on said finger would readily force it upward away from the knot without the exercise of any undue strain on the yarn.

Having thus described my invention, Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination of the take-up lever, segment-gear, and spring-rack, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the take-up lever provided with the cam-surface e and the bucklefiuger, connected substantially as described, whereby the depression of the lever will remove the finger from the yarn and result in an even and regular delivery from the bobbin, as and'for the purposes specified.

3. The combination of the spring takeup' lever, provided with the cam-surface f, with the buckle-finger arranged substantially as described, whereby the elevation of the takeup lever will throw the finger from the yarn, as and for the purposes specified.

, 4. The combination of a'buckle-finger having an independent griping action, and arranged to bear upon the yarn on its Way from the bobbin, with a spring take-up lever arranged to control the finger, substantially as described, whereby a desirable degree of tension on the yarn between the needles and the fin ger may be regularly and evenly maintained, as and for the purposes specified.

5. The combination of the graduating-screw with the take-up lever, segment gear, rack, and actuatin g-sprin g, whereby the spring force of the take-up lever may be varied, as and for the purposes specified.

HORACE L. ARNOLD.

Witnesses:

JOHN J. KELLOGG, EDWIN O. BEssEL. 

